President Obama makes surprise stop in Afghanistan

[cal04]

Source: Associated Press

President Barack Obama made a surprise visit to Afghanistan on Sunday for a firsthand look at the 8-year-old war he inherited and dramatically escalated.

After an overnight flight from Washington, the president landed in Afghanistan for a stay of just a few hours, all in darkness. He flew by helicopter from Bagram Air Field to the capital, where he was greeted at the presidential palace by Afghan leader Hamid Karzai, given just an hour's notice of Obama arrival. A military honor guard stood at attention as Obama walked across red carpets.

It was Obama's second stop in a war zone as commander in chief, coming about a year after a similarly secretive trip to Iraq.

The Afghanistan trip was intended to let Obama tell Karzai that he must crack down on corruption and cut the flow of money from poppy production and drug trafficking that is sustaining the insurgency. The U.S. also wants Karzai to halt cronyism and rewards for warlords in government hiring and to create an effective, credible judicial system.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100328/ap_on_re_as/as_obama_afghanistan

---

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2010/03/28/us/politics/politics-us-obama-afghanistan.html?_r=1

[havocmom]

1. One hopes he convinces Karzai to retire

Won't be much progress with Afghan 'ruler' doing so well from chaos.

[Robb]

2. Obama to Karzai: "Time to go write your book now."

(I hope). :D

[NecklyTyler]

9. I hope President Obama tells Karzai that we are leaving

It is time for the Iraqis to step up and run their own country because the U.S. is going Bye-Bye!

[Hekate]

26. Afghans

[Robb]

32. Interesting note from the later AP story

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100328/ap_on_re_as/as_obama_afghanistan

....Obama's aides did not try to hide U.S. impatience about Afghanistan's halting efforts to battle corruption and cronyism in government.
"The president (Karzai) needs to be seized with how important that is," said Jim Jones, Obama's national security adviser.

(snip)

The White House insisted that Karzai's Cabinet participate in most of the meetings with Obama. The Cabinet includes a number of ministers favored by the U.S., including the heads of finance, interior and defense, whom the Obama administration wants to empower as a way of reducing the influence of presidential cronies. Some talented Afghan administrators have complained that Karzai marginalized them in an attempt to solidify his powers.

Those cabinet members are http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omar_Zakhilwal">Omar Zakhilwal, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammad_Hanif_Atmar">Mohammad Hanif Atmar and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdul_Rahim_Wardak">General Abdul Raheem Wardak.

All three are Pashtun.

[Blandocyte]

10. Karzai will say he wants to spend more time with his family. eot

[Robb]

31. I'll settle for him wanting to spend more time with Andy Card's family.

:D

[medeak]

3. no vacation for THIS president! n/t

[Turbineguy]

5. Yes. How many vacations

had Bush taken by this time in his residency?

[Faygo Kid]

4. He is rolling up his sleeves now. No more Mr. Cool.

He is taking the fight to the enemy. Whether in DC or Afghanistan (sure hope we can get out of there soon, though).

[rury]

13. Barack's still cool

he's cool when he works, cool when he plays....he is just COOL!!!!

[JohnnyLib2]

6. Good for him; leadership.

But the very first comment under the Yahoo piece is mind-bending. :banghead:

[Democat]

7. The commander-in-chief!

Something else for the Republicans to cry about.

[jaysunb]

8. Obama is amazing ! In 2 places at once !

According to the AP:

The White House dropped the news in a press release on a quiet Saturday, with Obama at Camp David and lawmakers home in their districts

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100328/ap_on_bi_ge/us_obama_recess_appointments

:rofl:

[Blandocyte]

11. Poppies?

Doesn't the Taliban try to stop opium production b/c they belive it to be un-Islamic? Or was that just the "old Taliban?"

[Hekate]

28. That was the Old Taliban. Al Qaeda seems to have no compunctions about using drug money....

We'd have been a lot better off subsidizing the Afghan farmers from the get-go to *prevent* the resumption of opium poppy farming, but Baby Caligula and Pals were bone-stupid, blind to the problem and had their eyes on the prize of invading Baghdad.

Hekate

[Diane R]

12. My god. What a President. No secret flights to carry around a plastic turkey for a photo op.

This will be a presidency for the ages and will be a tough act for anyone to follow. After eight years of that clown act, we so deserve this honest, intelligent, hard-working leader.

[pjt7]

14. We need to take out Karzai's brother

if we are serious.

I can't with to learn what American creeps have been deep in the shadows profiting from the Heroin trade.

[lillypaddle]

16. let me say

amen! :)

[BlancheSplanchnik]

25. i just thought the same thing!

highly publicized photo-ops but no work

compared to constant real work with very little fanfare

[graywarrior]

15. He never sleeps.

[JonLP24]

20. I can't imagine him not sleeping at all

on a 20+ hour flight. I sure would be especially since AF1 is equipped with a bed!

[graywarrior]

34. I remember when he said the hardest part of being president would

be that he would have to get up early. In his book, he writes about how he slept late on the weekends, coz that's what he loved to do.

[JDPriestly]

17. The feed on MSNBC shows the service men and women taking

pictures of Obama for their families -- wives, husbands, kids and ---- they don't realize this, I'm sure, but grandkids one of these days.

[JanusAscending]

18. One of them with him.............

is my grand daughter!!:woohoo: She's in cammies, Army!!!

[goclark]

24. Wow!

We want to hear all the details --don't forget!

[Rapier09]

19. Don't tell him

Burn the poppy fields to ashes and remove his relatives.

He will get the message.

[latebloomer]

21. Hurray for endless war!

Just peachy.

[Hekate]

27. Thanks for the input. What exactly is your plan, how does it differ from the Prez? Opium poppies...

... came back full blast as soon as the Taliban stopped suppressing their growth -- I'd like to hear your ideas on suppressing poppy farming. (I think subsidizing Afghan farmers in other agricultural endeavors would be very cost-effective, but it would no doubt take troops to back up the Peace Corps to keep them from being killed by insurgents.)

Would you care to offer your ideas, or just take pot shots at the CIC visiting the troops and checking up on Karzai?

Hekate

[latebloomer]

30. My plan?

Get the hell out of there pronto and start spending our money on those who need it at home, rather than continuing to enrich the pockets of those who wish to control that part of the world for their own greed.

Their poppy farming is none of our business. We have our own problems to deal with. We never get past being the policeman of the world. And, believe me, it is not because we give a rat's ass about the welfare of others.

[mvd]

36. I agree on getting out

This also has risks, but Bush screwed things up so badly that there are no easy answers. I support a full withdrawal and using some of the war money to help the country rebuild and strengthen their own security. Plus, I always prefer the solution that gives peace a chance.

There are good signs lately, though, where Obama is concerned: keeping an eye on Karzai is one in a string.

[graywarrior]

33. If you voted for Obama, you were aware that he campaigned on redirectling attention from Iraq

to Aphganistan. No one wants this war, but he was very clear on what he was planning to do and he is doing it.

[latebloomer]

35. I know he did

and I didn't like it then, and I don't like it now.

He was always way too conservative for my liking.Unfortunately Kucinich was not running.

[JonLP24]

22. Hopefully he does something about this>>

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/as_afghanistan_war_deaths

[givemebackmycountry]

23. He was rockin' the leather flight jacket he had on as he was addressing the troops

He is everything the Monkey was not.
And he's just getting warmed up.

I REALLY do hope the POS (party of stupid) runs that twit Palin against him in 2012.

[JDPriestly]

29. Does Karzi's visit to China have anything to do with this?

Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Thursday concluded a three-day state visit to China during which deals on aid, tax reduction and training were inked to cement bilateral comprehensive cooperation.

Chinese President Hu Jintao and Karzai witnessed the signing of three documents on economic and technological cooperation, favorable tariffs for Afghan exports to China and training programs on Wednesday.

In his meeting with top Chinese legislator Wu Bangguo on Thursday afternoon, Karzai said his country hopes to further expand cooperation with China in the areas of politics, trade, defense and education, and enhance coordination on regional and global issues.

. . . .

more

http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/90883/6930867.html

[GameChanger]

37. Our country is broke. We can't afford endless wars.

The CBO has reported that Obama's 2011 fiscal budget will generate $10 billion in cumulative budget deficits over the next 10 years, plus add another $1.2 TRILLION for overages.

90% of our GDP will be spent on debt by the federal government. Greece went bankrupt with a debt level of 115%.

We are fast approaching that level.

Our country has no business being in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Africa or Iran -- all countries in which our government is fighting either acknowledged wars or covert. Then there's the down & dirty CIA stuff in South America we're not supposed to know about.


When will the insanity end? When will we quit spending trillions for war?

[trukdivad]

38. Obama in Afghanistan

That was such a great idea to get rid of the stink of Bush. Along with health care, now we're seeing the New Presidency that I've always supported. Come on, Barack!